Collar support for garment hangers



April 7, 1959 H. MERRILL 2,880,928

COLLAR SUPPORT FOR GARMENT HANGERS Filed Dec. 6, 1954 Hsrr/EBELLE Meme/41.,

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United States Patent COLLAR SUPPORT FOR GARMENT HANGERS Hattiebelle Merrill, Studio City, Calif.

Application December 6, 1954, Serial No. 473,144

6 Claims. (Cl. 223-98) This invention relates to garment collar supports of the type which are attachable to ordinary clothes hangers, and more particularly has to do with certain improvements in such devices directed to the collar supporting surface shape, means for holding the unit in its preferred shape, and to means for retaining the support on the hanger. 1

While many types of collar supports have been constructed in the past, to my knowledge none have proven entirely successful for various reasons, including the inability of certain forms to retain a desirable shape, the lack of means for properly positioning and anchoring such units on hangers, and the complexity of still other types of supporting devices.

The presently disclosed garment collar support incorporates definite improvements over previous devices of this type in that provision is made for shaping the unit to conform most desirably with the natural shape of such collars and for holding that shape for longer periods. Furthermore, means are provided for anchoring the collar support to a hanger in such a way as to prevent twisting displacement relative to the hanger, while at the same time permitting of quick attachment and detachment to and from the hanger. In addition, the device prevents contact of a supported collar with the hanger hook and may include means for supporting the front or rear of a garment below the collar in outward spaced relation from the hanger, to the end that the risk of damaging the garment through contact with the hook or other parts of the hanger is minimized.

In accordance with the invention, the body of the collar support comprises a single sheet of material, such as cardboard or plastic, which has been curved upon itself with its ends joined or molded together in the first instance to have a continuous, substantially frustro-conical shape. The form of the support body may be further characterized as being generally oval-shaped in crosssection, with the front and rear of the body corresponding to oposite flattened sides of the oval, this shape being desirable to conform most readily with the natural drape of the majority of garment collars. Various means for connecting the opposite ends of the sheet may be provided, including interconnectible flaps formed in these ends, or an adhesive substance or a pin to join them in overlapped relation. The upper narrowed edge of the sheet normally surrounds an aperture adapted to fit over a hanger hook, while the lower edge contains a pair of slots formed in opposite sides of the body and extending toward the upper edge. When the support is positioned on the hanger, the slots embrace the crossbar and anchor the support against twisting displacement.

All the various features and objects of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will appear more fully understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the collar support shown in mounted position on a hanger;

sembled as shown in Fig. 1.

2,880,928 Patented Apr. 7, 1859 ice Fig. 2 is a plan of the collar support blank as it appears when formed;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan of a collar support blank of modified form;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of an assembled portion of the blank shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective of still another modified collar support.

The collar support comprising the present invention is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 to consist of a thin sheet of material such as cardboard, plastic or the like which is given a definite shape in a blanking step and then as- In the blanked condition the support 10 comprises essentially a sector of an annulus, defined by circular inner and outer edges 11 and 12, and complementary side edge portions 13 terminating in substantially radial edges 14 which are spaced apart. In addition, a pair of radial slots 15 are formed in the blank to extend from the outer edge 12 toward the inner edge 11 and which terminate therebetween, each of the slots having a width slightly greater than the width of a hanger crossbar. Slots 15 are spaced apart at an angle which is less than degrees and which is related to the angular separation of the side portions 13, so that when the latter are brought together in the manner to be described the slots will then extend on opposite sides of the assembled collar support and be separated by a substantially 180 degree angle.

In accordance with the above description, the side portions 13 are assembled in overlapping relation as shown in Fig. l and conveniently joined together as by pin 16. As thus formed, the collar support assumes a substantially frustro-conical shape between upper or inner edge 11 and lower or outer edge 12, a central aperture 17 being formed within the confines of the inner edge. The aperture 17 is sufliciently large to allow the collar support to fit over a hanger book 18, so that the slots 15 may be fitted over the crossbar 19 of the hanger on opposite sides of the hook. In this position, the anchored collar support cannot twist relative to the hanger, and yet it may be readily removed therefrom.

The support is desirably given an oval shape as shown in Fig. 3 during assembly, so as to assume a frustroconical shape in close conformance with the natural drape of a garment collar supported on a hanger. Accordingly, the cross-section shown in Fig. 3, representing the intersection of a plane extending perpendicular to the principal axis of the collar support with the frustroconical body of the support, is oriented with the slots 15 formed in the opposite, most sharply curved portions of the oval, while the flattened front and rear oval portions 20 are disposed medially of the slots. The overlapping end portions 13 are desirably formed to lie intermediate the slots 15 at the front or rear of the oval when the support is in assembled condition. It is readily seen from the drawings that the assembled frustro-conical collar support is sufficiently spaced from the hanger hook 18 to prevent contact of a supported collar with the hook, and thus insures against tearing or other damaging of the collar. Furthermore, the oval shape of the support allows close spacing of adjacently hung hangers while continuing to give desired support to a garment.

The modified embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is represented by the same numbers as previously ap' plied, insofar as it is similar to the support first described. The principal modification is represented by the provision of two flaps or tabs 21 attached to the sideedge portions 13, upper and lower slits 22 being formed along the fold lines or webs 23 of the tabs, which are substantially co-extensive with the side edges 14. The purpose of the tabs is, of course, to provide an interlocking structure illustrated in Fig. .for holding the collar support in assembled condition. Accordingly, when the tabs are interlocked, the respective slits 5,22 receive therethrough the 'iold 111E811)! webs.,23 formed .in respective opposite tabs, forming a mutually interlocking tabular structure. Outward projcction of the tabs 21 :awayfrom the support gives additional-supportto the front of a garment directly below the collar thereof. Accordingly, when the collar support 1!) is positioned on a hanger, not only will the collar of a garmenthe advantageously supported, but alsothefront .of thegarment itself will be deflected out ward away from the hanger. The tabular structure 21 is well suited .to lending outward support to blouses and similar garments which are desirably maintained .in an unwrinkled condition on a hanger.

'Ihemodificationillustrated in Fig. 6 shows a similar irustm mnicalrcollar support ltlwhich is wider in a transverse vdirectionbetween slots .15 and somewhat more shallow between edges 11 ,and,.1 2 to adapt it for use in supporting-shirt collars. A flat tongue 25, for example comprising .a cardboard sheet, is .shown attached to that side of the support opposite the overlappingends 13 and projectingdownward from .the bottom edge 12 thereof. The tongueserves .to givebacking support to a shirt front preventing wrinkling thereof, and its combination with the collar support results .in an integrated structure well adapted togivfl propersupportto a shirt on a hanger, and especially tosoft shirts. In addition, the combined col- .lar andshirt front, support is useful 01f the hanger ,in supporting collars and fronts of folded shirts, and may be .transferredto .a hangeralong with the shirt, as desired.

I claim:

.1. A garment collarsupport for use one clothes hanger having a hook .andacross bar, said support comprising an originally flat o -shaped blank of pliant sheet material thetwo opposite end .edges of which have been brought closely together and opposite end portions of the material thereafter joined in overlapping relation so that the supporthasupstanding frustro-conical shape and forms a cenvtral upright .opening,.said support containing an opposite pair of slots .extending from and terminating in the ma- ,terial upwardly and inwardly of the bottom edge thereof for receiving opposite arms of the cross bar When the support is placed centrally over the hook, the upper portion of the support above .a transverse plane through the slot terminations extending substantially completely about said opening and everywhere sloping upwardly and inwardly to seat thecollar in its natural position above garment shoulder level, ,.said, originally flat C-shaped blank being .inthe form .of an annular asectorextending throughout an angle greater than degrees and said slots in said blank extending substantially radially and being separated by an angle of less than 180 degrees.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 comprising a paper support having substantially oval transverse section, said oval section being elongated in the direction of a line passing through the slots.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 comprising slit end portions mutually receiving one another in interlocking relation through the .slits formed therein.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which said.

tions .Of the material thereafter joined in overlapping relation so that the support has upstanding frustro-ccnical shape above and ,belowthe cross-bar and forms a central upright opening through the support freely receiving the hook, said support containing an opposite pair of Slots extending from and terminating in the material upwardly and inwardly of the bottom edge thereof and receiving oppositearms-of thecross-bar, the upper portion of the supportabove ac -transverse plane through the slot terminations extendingsubstantially completely about said opening and everywhere sloping upwardly and inwardly to seatthe .collar'inits natural position above garment shoulder lev l, :said originally, fiat c-sshapcd blank being in the form of an annular sector fixtendingthroughout an angle greater than 1180dgrees and .said .;slots in said blank extending rsubstant-ially radially and being separated by an angle of less than 18,0;degrees.

6, The invention as defined in claim 5 comprising a paper support.

Referenees Qited .in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,086,094 Smith Feb. 3, 1 914 1,115,169 Cahn Oct. 27, 1914 2,560,710 Akers July 17, 1951 2,649,229 Sutter Aug. 18, 1953 2,719,977 Fields Oct. 11, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 242,462 Great Britain Nov. 12, 1925 225,970 Switzerland May 17, 194.3 

